Don't Give Dottie Winner's Crystal Yet

Skip Miller

CHESAPEAKE — Just as everybody else was ready to hand Dottie Mochrie the chunk of crystal that goes to the winner of the Crestar Classic, Rosie Jones intervened.

Mochrie shot a Greenbrier Country Club course-record 65 Saturday, giving her a commanding seven-shot lead over Jones entering today's final round.

Jones, playing in the same threesome as Mochrie, shot a 2-under 70 that included chipping and pitching over "all those whoop-tee-doop-tees they've got out there."

It also involved keeping an eye on Mochrie's round. "It was fun to watch," Jones admitted.

Best round of golf she ever had, Mochrie said.

Give her the $52,500 check and the crystal now, others said. Nobody can catch her. We'll cancel the final round and spend Mother's Day at the beach.

Au contraire, protested Jones. Mochrie, in a fashion, agreed.

Personal experience has taught both there is no such thing as a guaranteed winner until the final hole is played.

In 1988 Jones carried a five-shot lead into the final round of the Nestle World Championship. Eight holes later, she was trailing by a shot.

"I couldn't sleep the night before," she said. "I called a thousand friends ... then I go out and blow it all in the first eight holes. All of the sudden I'm a shot behind. I felt like my old self again. I was back in my comfort zone."

Do you think Dottie will have a similarly fitful Saturday night?

"God, I hope so," Jones sighed.

Mochrie gained her experi ence earlier this year at the Oldsmobile Classic, the second tournament of the Ladies Professional Golf Association season.

She started the final round trailing Pat Bradley by 5 shots. Mochrie birdied the first hole and parred the second. Bradley went bogey-double bogey.

"When she did that, the whole field tightened up and it's a one-shot tournament," Mochrie recalled.

Chris Johnson, who trails Mochrie by eight shots, said protecting a final-round lead "depends on how you wake up. It depends on who's leading. Maybe you don't worry about (leading) ... maybe you're not in a real stable position anyway ... you just can't tell until you go out there and play."

Still want to give away the crystal without exploring what lurks on the final 18?

Why not?

Jones, went on to win the 1988 World Championship. Bradley won the Oldsmobile Classic in a playoff with Dale Eggeling - Mochrie eliminated herself on the 18th hole.

Jones grinned impishly. She knows experience is not the standard, but the point at which the next endeavor begins.

"I look at it as a 3 1/2-shot spread," she said. "I birdie and she bogeys. Three holes and I'm only a half-shot back. Get it?"

No.

Jones tried again. "I'm probably going to take more risks than she does," she explained. I'm going to try to catch her. But I have to protect my position, too."

Oh. You'll play offense to her defense. You'll shoot for the pins while Mochrie tries to protect her lead with pars and ...

"I don't know how to do that," Mochrie countered. "I'll swing at it the same way. I'll play smart golf and be as aggressive as possible.

"I want to get off to a solid start and key in a tempo like I did today."

Hey, Rosie: Dottie says she's not going to play defensive. She's going to stay on the attack. What does that do to your plans?

Rosie Jones smiled and winked. "I guess I'll have to cheat," she said.